No matter what you think of the iPhone Duo and its sky-high $1,999 price tag, its existence proves that Apple has finally figured out how to make a foldable device. And on a broader level, it also shows that Apple isn’t very proud of following in the footsteps of Samsung and other Android phone makers. If that’s the case, I hope Apple also isn’t afraid to copy Samsung’s smaller Z Flip phones, which fold horizontally, and larger devices like Lenovo’s X1 Fold and ASUS ZenBook Fold 17. An “iPhone Flip” could potentially satisfy people demanding a new iPhone Mini, and a future foldable iPad Pro could really differentiate this tablet from the increasingly capable iPad Air.
Of course, this all seems obvious. Now that Apple has shown it can develop ultra-thin devices connected by a sturdy hinge, it should be easier for the company to shrink and expand its designs. I just hope it doesn’t take forever. After all, it took Apple almost seven years to finally respond to the Galaxy Z Fold (which, admittedly, was practically a beta product for its first generations). What better way for new Apple CEO John Ternus to follow up the debut of the iPhone Duo than with a smaller iPhone Flip next year? And given how slowly ASUS and Lenovo have been slow to improve their large foldable tablets, Apple has an opportunity to truly innovate in this area.
What would an “iPhone Flip” look like? Apple would not need to move away from the model presented by Samsung and others. Grab an iPhone 17, then imagine casually folding the top down, just like we used to close old cell phones. Much like Samsung devices, an iPhone Flip would need a small external display to check notifications and handle basic tasks, like taking a selfie with its rear cameras.
Such a design would not be an exotic innovation for Apple. The small foldables have been around for six years now; they have been practically normalized. They typically cost half as much as large foldable smartphones (and in many cases even less). Anecdotally, I’ve also noticed many “standard” smartphone users carrying the Z Flip or Moto Razr, while I rarely see the Z Fold being used by non-techies.
While Apple is rumored to be working on a major redesign of the iPhone for its 20th anniversary next year, I’m not sure a bezel-less display with curved edges really excites anyone. But an iPhone Flip that can easily fit into a pocket or small purse? I’ve been asking for it for years.
Sam Rutherford for Woozad
When it comes to a foldable iPad, Apple also has the ability to do a lot more than ASUS or Lenovo, both of which are locked to Windows. Based on what we’ve seen from the iPhone Duo, Apple has thought deeply about how to juggle apps and features on folding displays. As usual, he has the software advantage. An iPad Fold could replicate the look of the iPhone Duo by having a smaller iPad Mini-sized screen on the front and a larger screen internally. But I could also imagine Apple forgoing the external display entirely for cost reasons. Personally, I would want a device like this for its full-screen tablet and folded pseudo-laptop modes.
Sam Rutherford for Woozad
Once fully opened, it could function like any iPad today. But imagine folding it in half and using the top half as a laptop screen, while the bottom half is reserved for a touchscreen keyboard with haptic feedback. You can also use this folded training to multitask: play a YouTube video on top, while juggling Slack and handwritten notes on the bottom half. I could also imagine standing it up vertically while folded in half, which would give you taller windows for multitasking. Tap a wireless keyboard, and it’s practically like having a super-light mini desktop computer
ASUS and Lenovo have relied on large 16.3-inch OLED displays for their foldable tablets, but I don’t think Apple needs to go that far. A 13-inch foldable iPad Pro would still be very useful when cut in half. A smaller 11-inch iPad Fold could be a great portable journal, similar to the unreleased Surface Neo. (And yes, it’s hilarious that Apple now has products using the Duo and Neo names, as if that rubs salt in Microsoft’s wounds.)
Figuring out the intricacies of a foldable iPad would likely take Apple years, and truth be told, there isn’t a huge demand for something like that yet. But Samsung has done a lot of the groundwork to come up with a potential iPhone Flip, Apple just needs to follow that model.
